1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a hydrogen generating apparatus and a fuel cell power generation system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell is an apparatus that converts the chemical energy of fuel (hydrogen, LNG, LPG, methanol, etc.) and air directly into electricity and heat, by means of electrochemical reactions. In contrast to conventional power generation technologies, which employ the processes of burning fuel, generating vapor, driving turbines, and driving power generators, the utilization of a fuel cell, which does not entail a combustion process or driving apparatus, is a new technology for generating power that offers high efficiency and few environmental problems.
Examples of fuel cells being researched for application to portable electronic devices include the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), which uses hydrogen as the fuel, and the direct liquid fuel cell, such as the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), which uses liquid fuel directly. The PEMFC provides a high output density but requires a separate apparatus for supplying hydrogen.
Methods used in generating hydrogen for the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) can mainly include utilizing the oxidation of aluminum, utilizing the hydrolysis of metal borohydrides, and utilizing reactions on metal electrodes, among which the rate of hydrogen generation is efficiently regulated using metal electrodes. In this method, the electrons obtained when magnesium in the electrode is ionized to Mg2+ ions are moved through a wire and connected to another metal object, generating hydrogen by the dissociation of water. The amount of hydrogen generated can be regulated, as it is related to the distance between the electrodes and the size of the electrodes.
However, to generate power from the fuel cell, in which water is the main fuel source, it is imperative that pure hydrogen be provided only. In other words, penetration of moisture may cause degradation and malfunction of the fuel cell. This is an urgent problem to be resolved, especially for application to portable electronic devices.